Vaccine Against A Hoax

I recently discovered that one can get vaccinated against a hoax.

Too bad that one cannot get vaccinated against stupidity.

It is amusing, isn't it?

Fox News Trying Very Hard To Make Themselves Look Stupid

I mean, really.

In their tribute to the passing of Aretha Franklin, Fox news superimposed a picture of Patti LaBelle by mistake.

You don't have to do this anymore, Fox News. I am already convinced of your clumsy, inept ability.

Zz.

Travel Ban Would Not Have Stopped Previous Attacks

The claim by the Trump administration that the travel ban from these countries would make the US safer and would have prevented previous attacks is quite hollow. The Washington Post has an article that basically said that the current policy would not have stopped those attacks, because the attackers were either US citizens, permanent residents, or were not from one of those banned countries.

This is a table that summarizes the attacks by so-called Islamic extremists since 2001.

“The ban is less about national security and more about advancing a worldview based on religious and racial exclusion,” J.M. Berger, a fellow with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism at The Hague and co-author of “ISIS: The State of Terror,” wrote in an email Sunday. “It’s not likely to make us safer, and it is far more likely to help our real enemies, ISIS and al-Qaeda. We don’t do ourselves any favors when we make their talking points into reality.”

So instead of making us safer, it has made us even more vulnerable.

Zz.

Happy Birthday, Fred Korematsu

Today, January 30, 2017, Google Doodle celebrates the birthday of activist Fred Korematsu, who fought the US government way back in 1942 on the internment of Japanese US citizens during World War II.

Korematsu refused to comply with the order and fled from his home in San Leandro, California to Oakland. Korematsu was soon captured and convicted, but he appealed the decision. Although the Supreme Court ruled against him 6-3, the decision was overturned in 1983.

In the original Supreme Court ruling, dissenting Justice Robert Jackson said that the only crime Korematsu committed was “being present in the state whereof he is a citizen, near the place where he was born and where all his life he has lived.” Justice Frank Murphy called the executive order “legalization of racism.”

“It is the case of convicting a citizen as a punishment for not submitting to imprisonment in a concentration camp, based on his ancestry, and solely because of his ancestry, without evidence or inquiry concerning his loyalty and good disposition towards the United States,” they wrote. “If this be a correct statement of the facts disclosed by this record, and facts of which we take judicial notice, I need hardly labor the conclusion that Constitutional rights have been violated.”

And now, more than 70 years later, history is almost repeating itself, where whole groups of people are being persecuted not because they did anything wrong, but because they are assumed to already be guilty just simply for who they are.

Zz.

Fake News, Faith, And Reason

Whoa! An essay that conveys what I've been thinking of lately!

A dozen or so years ago, I was working on a profile of Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational speaker who died in 2012, and I went to hear him speak at his church in a suburb of Dallas. His topic, as a lay lecturer in adult Sunday school, was the threat of cults, and he began by mocking the creation myth of Scientology — the whole baroque science-fiction epic starting 4 quadrillion years ago and proceeding through the Galactic Overlord, the frozen thetans and the nuclear holocaust on a planet called Teegeeack.

“Now, I ask you,” he said, wrapping up his recitation, “how could any of this fool an intelligent, thinking man or woman who has read the first four chapters of Genesis?”

Well, yes, precisely. Scientology is incompatible with Christianity, or Judaism or Islam; you cannot by any stretch of reason believe in both. What went without saying, to Ziglar and to his audience that morning, was the logical superiority of a six-day Creation and a talking snake, and by extension the flood and the ark, the litany of biblical miracles and the Resurrection.

But from an agnostic standpoint, there’s no inherent reason to believe one account over the other. They are stories written in books that function as their own authority. People believe in the Bible as a matter of faith, because they accept its message of redemption, not because of empirical evidence or the inherent plausibility of the individual stories within it. This has been true as far back as Augustine, who held that faith and reason go together, but faith leads the way: “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” Or, in the more pungent formulation of Mark Twain, faith consists of “believing what you know ain’t so.”

Does that remind you of something transpiring in American society at this moment? Many Americans subscribe to conspiracy theories as preposterous as anything L. Ron Hubbard could have dreamt up, and — because they relate to current events and real living people — far more dangerous. Just in the past few days, a man shot up a Washington pizzeria, acting under the delusion that it was the headquarters of a child-sex ring involving Hillary Clinton, and a woman who believed that the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre was a government hoax was arrested for making threats against the parents of a child who died there.

 Conspiracy theories exist across the political spectrum, but some of the most influential purveyors populate the far right, including the radio commentator Alex Jones, who has claimed that not just Sandy Hook but also the 9/11 attacks and the Oklahoma City bombing were “false flag” operations staged by the federal government as pretexts to expand its tyranny. And Jones has had as a guest on his show Donald Trump, whose campaign abandoned even the pretense of grounding statements in empirical fact. The unemployment rate was whatever he said it was — “probably 28, 29, as high as 35” — and Barack Obama was born in Africa right up until the moment it became expedient to say something else. 

Many of these absurd beliefs originate in “fake news,” clickbait posts whose authors may not even care if they are believed, as long as there are enough suckers out there to click on them. This has led to calls by media figures and other interested parties, Hillary Clinton among them, for a crackdown on the way social media sites abet the spread of nonsense. But the bigger question is, how could someone possibly believe that one of the most visible and recognizable figures in the world, surrounded at all times by aides and security, was sneaking into the basement of a pizza parlor to have sex with children? Who are those people?

By a wide margin, Trump was supported by (white) evangelical Christian voters. And in Brooklyn, N.Y., one of the few areas where he did well was the Orthodox and Hasidic enclave of Borough Park. Obviously, people supported Trump for all sorts of reasons, including some grounded in religious conviction, such as opposition to abortion, but also some that had nothing to do with faith. And, of course, many religious people voted the other way. But, to state the obvious, a precondition for believing, along with Jones, that Hillary Clinton is a literal demon from hell is a belief that demons and hell exist in the first place. It is much easier to ignore evidence about global warming if you believe, with Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., that Earth’s climate is controlled directly by God. More generally, is there something in the mindset of a religious believer — someone who accepts the reality of an unseen deity, based on ancient accounts of events with no parallel in everyday experience — that encourages the acceptance of unprovable claims in the realms of politics or science?

It’s not an easy question. Christians put Scripture in a separate epistemological category: It is the word of God, not subject to the same empirical testing as a weather forecast or an unemployment report. Some highly trained minds — Isaac Newton, for one, and Francis Collins, former head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical Christian — have managed to maintain a strong Biblical faith while also rigorously pursuing objective truths about the natural world, but most of us don’t have the philosophical chops to pull it off. Conservative churches offer their believers certainty rather than ambiguity, and they attract congregants who are comfortable obeying, and exercising, authority.

 Brain-imaging studies show that doubt requires more mental effort than belief. Credulousness is the default setting for most people, most of the time. That is as true of crystal-gazing New Agers passing along posts about a conspiracy by Monsanto to control the world through genetically modified corn as it is of Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, an elder of the Erath County Cowboy Church, who passed along an unfounded rumor that Clinton had been endorsed by the Communist Party. Miller, who is reported to be under consideration for nomination as secretary of agriculture, told reporters he doesn’t care whether it’s true or not. 

So someone like Miller is essentially treating political discourse as a matter of faith. If your goal is to be saved, you don’t go around looking for logical holes in the Gospels; you leave that to the atheists. If your goal is to elect Republicans, you pass along anything that puts your opponent in a bad light and leave the fact-checking to the mainstream media.

But is that any way to run a country? Maybe it’s a time to reawaken our capacity for doubt, now when misinformation is more readily available and arguably more dangerous than ever before in history. Faith has a place in the lives of many people. But, per Augustine, it can no more stand alone than pure reason; a Christian must call on both to be strong in the world. That’s still good advice.

The problem also comes in when people can't tell the difference between speculative, unverified babble versus something with actual physical evidence. Talking heads on TV tend to ramble on and on about something, and often make guesses and speculation of a piece of news. But listeners often confuse or mistook them as being part of the news.

Or maybe they DON'T want to, or don't care, if it is valid or not, as the article suggests. If this is true, then it is pretty sad. The Spaghetti Monster truly lives!

Zz.

Why Don't We Drop Turkeys Out Of An Airplane?

If you think that was simply an episode out from "WKRP in Cincinnati", think again. It seems that the population of DUMB people are multiplying.

A town called "Yellville", Arkansas is reviving their tradition of, get this, dropping live turkeys out of an airplane. I'm not making this up!

In Yellville (pop. 1,204), they call the turkey drop “an Ozark Mountain tradition” — one that has more or less remained intact for 71 years.

Due to protests and weather concerns, the drops were put on hold from 2012 to 2014. But they’re back and scheduled to resume like old times, and many locals are rushing to defend the practice.

And I almost howled with laughter when I read what the town judge said in defense of this practice:

Terry Ott, a county judge, downplayed concerns about the well-being of the birds during an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

“They’re not going to crash,” Ott told the paper. “They’re birds. They can fly.”

I swear, this was the script right out of the infamous episode!



The stupidity of some people can be rather astounding.

Zz.

Kentucky's Clerk Kim Davis Might Be Violating The Bible Herself!

And interesting take on this ridiculous issue in an article from Huff Post. It comes from a passage in the Bible (Roman 13).

Based on that passage, this is what the author concluded:

Of course, this famous passage in Romans is in addition to other verses like 1 Peter 2:13 and Titus 3:1 and Jesus's own command to "Render unto Caesar" in Mark 12:17, Matthew 22:21, and Luke 20:25. Together they mean that if we're going to play the The Bible Is Clear™ game, then Kim Davis is clearly in violation of Scripture for the Bible clearly and repeatedly tell us to obey the government. Which obviously creates an incredibly awkward conundrum, for in her steadfast determination not to violate her biblical values, Davis has done just that.

Regardless of what she believes in, she is a PUBLIC SERVANT, and it is part of her job. The local government didn't refuse tax money from gay men and women, or give them partial refunds, because it would not provide some service to such citizens. So she is obligated to provide such a service.

If she can't, then she has not been performing the job she was hired to do. She should quit, or she should be fired!

It is as simple as that!

The claim of religious freedom is bogus. Did she check if the straight couple she issued marriage licenses to have had premarital sex? Has she ever issue licenses to a pregnant woman? Does that mean that she actually endorses all of these behaviors?

Once again, we have an example of people using religion to hide and justify their bigotry and stupidity.

Zz.

Presidential Election Comic Relief

It seems that for the past few US presidential election, the Republican party has not failed to provide ample comic relief to the election/campaign process. 2 elections ago, we had Sarah Palin. Then we had Michele Bachmann in the last election. This election, we have Donald Trump.

There appears to be an endless supply of clowns running for president in the Republican party.

Zz.

Theatergoer Tried To Recharge Phone Onstage!

Again, you can't make these things up!

A patron at the Tony Award-nominated play "Hand to God" on July 2 climbed onstage just before the show began to try to recharge his phone in what looked like an outlet. Ushers at the Booth Theatre quickly converged, and the young man was pulled off the stage.

And he couldn't charge his phone anyway, because it turned out that the outlet on stage was a prop that was part of the show.

This is an instance where public shaming is highly appropriate, and that this person's identity should be published. After all, do you really want him to propagate his stupid genes?

Zz.

When you defend Phil Robertson, this is what you are defending

This is a pretty accurate article that blows away the smoke and the distractions.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/defend-phil-robertson-heres-youre-001248300.html

Somehow, the Ted Cruz's and the Sarah Palins seem to have glossed over the other stupid remarks that he made.

Zz.

Fan Loses House Over A Soccer Match?

Again, you can't make these things up! It is just too freaking weird!

An Arsenal fan with three wives stood to gain another wife and a Toyota in a wager. Instead, he lost his house after betting that the Gunners would beat Manchester United last Sunday.

According to The Mirror, Henry Dhabasani, who has five children from the three wives, wagered the deal with friend Rashid Yiga, who offered up his spouse and his car. The contract was reportedly signed into writing by the two men and witnessed by community leaders in the town of Iganga in eastern Uganda.

After Arsenal lost 1-0, several Manchester fans stormed Dhabasani’s two-room house and kicked his family out.

No, really! Over a soccer match that isn't even in their own country!

Some people have lost all sense of reality.

Zz.

Death Valley Rangers Tell People To Stop Frying Eggs

Some time, a good intention to tell people how bad it is can have an opposite consequence.

The Death Valley National Park authorities tried to show just how hot the temperature is there by frying an egg in a skillet using just the heat from the sun. The video was uploaded on YouTube, and that's when stupid amateurs from all over started flocking into Death Valley and attempted their own egg frying. Unfortunately, they created a mess.

“An employee's posting of frying an egg in a pan in Death Valley was intended to demonstrate how hot it can get here, with the recommendation that if you do this, use a pan or tin foil and properly dispose of the contents. However, the Death Valley NP maintenance crew has been busy cleaning up eggs cracked directly on the sidewalk, including egg cartons and shells strewn across the parking lot.

This is your national park, please put trash in the garbage or recycle bins provided and don’t crack eggs on the sidewalks, or the Salt Playa at Badwater. (nm)”

There are just stupid people out there, folks! They are the reason why the gene pool needs some chlorine.

Zz.

C'mon, Knock Me Out, I Dare Ya!

There's poetic justice in something like this, when one is arrogant enough to leave oneself open.

This boxer was taunting his opponent to hit him and letting his guard down. He got what he asked for. He got hit and knocked unconscious!



Would love to hear what he had to say when they revived him him.

Zz.

I Want Some Schweddy Balls

Honestly, I didn't realize that Ben and Jerry's came out with this limited-release flavor, and I didn't know that it "offended" some people. But now that I have heard about it, I'll be damned if I'm not going to buy this.

But apparently some grocery store chains can, and so can supporters and members of the One Million Moms group.

That Mississippi-based moms organization has been putting the heat on retailers to keep Schweddy Balls out of their freezers and encouraging parents to ask the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's to stop production of the item, saying the name is nothing but locker room humor that's not appropriate for young children.

 So Ben and Jerry's should send a thank you letter to this "One Million Moms" group, because due to them, they got publicity that money just can't buy!  And this Million Moms group must not have other bigger problems to deal with than worry about some name on an ice cream corrupting their kids. They must be really horrible parent for their kids to be so easily corrupted by such a mundane thing!

Zz.

Some people should not be saved from themselves.

This woman paid $180, in a MacDonalds parking lot, to a couple of strangers who said they had extra iPads in their vehicle. She paid for it and took the package home without opening it, only to find later that it was a slab of wood.

I lost count how many things in that scenario that would ring warning bells. I disagree with the part of the article that tries to evoke some sympathy for this woman.

Before you scream, snort or snicker, let he who has not been fooled at least once in this life cast the first tablet of wood.

There are scams, and there are SCAMS. Most of us who were taken in by scams were the ones that were done in such an elaborate fashion to pass them off for being legit. This is not the case here. When you are approached by some strangers, IN A MACDONALDS PARKING LOT, for heaven's sake, and then to not even check and see if you're getting what you were paying for, there is just something terribly wrong with you. Sorry, but you deserve to be taken in, and you should not be allowed to propagate your genes for the sake of humanity.

Zz.

Darwin Award - First Nominee

This will probably be a series of nomination for the Darwin Award - people who should be taken out of the gene pool.

My first nominee is a woman who is on oxygen, and then decided to smoke a cigarette.

A 51-year-old woman who uses oxygen tanks to breathe suffered face and inhalation burns this morning while she was smoking inside her Near West Side home.

Of course, the story doesn't say why she was on oxygen. Maybe her lungs isn't working well due to her addiction to cigarettes?

Zz.

Prince is Obsolete

The artist Prince, was the artist formally known as Prince (or as Rosie O'Donnell fondly called, much to his chagrin, TAFKAP), and now is back to Prince, thinks that internet music is 'dead'.

Prince is currently set to release his latest album, “20Ten,” for free through various European print media, including the Daily Mirror and its Scottish affiliate, the Daily Record. Fans can snag their copy this Saturday via the different press outlets, but you they certainly won’t find any of the new material online.

Prince has banned both YouTube and iTunes from using his music, calling the web obsolete.

“The Internet's like MTV,” he told the mirror. “At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you."

Anyone else caught the irony there? Filling your heads with numbers can't be that good for you, yet he called his latest album "20Ten"? What are those, oh honorable Prince? And his albums are going to be released on .... wait for it ..... CDs, which are encoded in digital bits!

You're right, Prince. Your music can't be that good for me.

Zz.

Another Dumb "Religious" Cleric

Ah, this shows that stupidity knows no religious boundary.

Just so he could outdo Pat Robertson's stupid remarks on the Haiti earthquake, a cleric in Iran (a country that is already well-known for having leaders that don't care that they make stupid statements) is blaming earthquakes in Iran on, get this, "... women and girls who don't dress appropriately ... "

"When promiscuity spreads, earthquakes increase," he says in a video posted Monday on YouTube, apparently of him leading Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, last week.

"There is no way other than taking refuge in religion and adapting ourselves to Islamic behavior," he adds in the video.

You can go find the video yourself. I will need a lobotomy to view any more of such filth.

It is hard to understand these things when you look back at the Dark Ages and realize that there are some people who are still stuck there. And it isn't about these dumb morons, really. It is the people who actually follow them and bought lock, stock, and barrel of the garbage that they are spewing. If these are the people they wish to follow and obey, then they deserve what they get. It is difficult to save people from themselves.

Zz.

US Postal Service SUCKS!

... and they wonder why they keep losing money.

Here's a friendly advice for anyone who's about to file a change of address: DO NOT DO THIS ON THE USPS WEBSITE! You might as well not file a change of address - it is that ineffective.

I moved to a new house and decided to file a change of address on the USPS website. I got all the confirmation number, and even got a letter from the USPS with coupons that I've checked.

Guess what? 2 weeks on and I had received NO forwarding mail at all! A check with our former landlord indicated that the mail person had been returning all of our mail back to sender since there were no forwarding address on record! We made a phone call to the USPS customer service, and she couldn't find ANY record of a change of address request, even when we cited our confirmation number! It's as if we never filed anything, and everything we entered on the web just went POOF!

Note that this happened for BOTH of us, and we did this on separate days too. I have no idea what mail we missed that never got forwarded. We refiled our change of address with the customer service person on the phone, but hey, who knows if THAT would get through as well!

This is a joke! And I'm not taking this lying down. I have all the documents printed out that indicated that we did file for a change of address online, and that they screwed up big time. I'm going to write a complaint to the Postmaster General and ask for my $1 back! They charged $1 on a credit card to verify your identity online. And yes, I want my damn $1 back because it did NOTHING and I'm royally pissed!

I've had mail being delivered 2 weeks late, and other poor services that I'm willing to overlook. But this is just plain stupid. You promised a service, and even with all the technology, you have morons running it. I'm not sure how many people have been taken in with their website, but I certainly will make sure enough people know about this. It may not do much to change their stupidity, but I certainly won't just sit here and take this. They lied, and did not provide the service that they promised!


Zz.

Another Hypocrite Gets Taken Down

Former Miss California Carrie Prejean has settled all lawsuits between her and the Miss USA Pageant. Why the sudden change of hearts? Apparently word leaked out that there's a rather explicit sex tapes starring our do-gooder Prejean herself!

So she opposed gay marriage based on such high moral grounds, eh? Well guess what? Those same "moral grounds" are taking her down as well! Another hypocrite gets gets taken down!

Zz.